Captivity...Good Stuff...No Really..It Is.

So...yeah. Captivity.


As believers...especially in a charismatic body...its a word that embodies negative things, right? I mean, when you think of 'captivity' you think of the Children of Israel in Egypt...or atleast I do...You think of addictions, chains, bondages, prison, slavery, etc.....See? Negative.

If you read my last blog, you know that Daddy kinda rocked my world by just flat out atom-bombing a paradigm that most ppl who claim "charismatic" have. 
Welp. He did it again. Read on.



Wednesday night, before service (I play guitar for our youth service), I was walking the room and interceding (that would be 'praying' for the non-church-i-fied folk[who happen to be my favorite folk])for the ppl who would come to the gathering that night...


Following is the dialogue that would wreck my sleep that night and every other night this week, so far...seeing as its 3:18am on Saturday morning....


ME- "God...Uncreated One...How?? How can we capture this generation JUST long enough so that You can grab their attention? How? We need divine creativity. What we are doing just isnt working and it's NOT okay that it takes a tragedy for them to slow down enough to hear You. How can we capture their attention so they can be captured with you?"
UNCREATED ONE- "You want them to be captured with Me?"
ME- "YES, GOD! COMPLETELY CAPTURED!(for a second I WAS the wild-eyed woman on the second pew that everybody avoids...hahahaha)

UNCREATED ONE - "You dont need creativity. You and your generation must be captured, for what they see you do, they will do in excess."
( I was hurt. I mean, I was really offended with Him...for real. Tears sprang to my eyes instantly. )
ME-"But Daddy...I am captured by You...That hurt me. I dont know how to be more captured..."

UNCREATED ONE - "My child, dont cry. You are captured with Me, but for your OWN relationship with Me."


(I was confused and still a little bruised by His words...especially since I love Him so passionately...How was it possible to be in love with Him for my own benefit? Isnt that why we love Him? For the benefit OF Him?)


ME- "Abba...I don't understand..."


UNCREATED ONE - "Precious daughter, when you dance, you dance for me and it's beautiful. It makes me smile. When you sing, I close my eyes and inhale the sweetness of your prayers and worship. The purity of your worship captures My heart and My eyes are upon you....as are theirs. I am your focus, as it should be. But when you enter in, you enter in for only yourself..."


(I was silent as I tried so hard to stretch my mind around what He was telling me...)


UNCREATED ONE- "You must enter into My presence with THEM in mind. You must not enter in for YOUR relationship only, but for THEIRS as well."


END DIALOGUE


(Understanding began to warm me from the inside out...What a glorious epiphany! My relationship with Him directly affects the passion of this next generation! That I give my all in my relationship with Him, not just for HIM, but for THEM too!! I give my best to be the example of how to worship a King! What and honor, this place I'm in!

... But the warmth was short lived as a deep sadness settled over me...the weight of it was almost unbearable...The only thing I can compare it to was the awful day when I watched as the Twin Towers crumbled to the earth...and when I listened to the heartbreaking last words of one of the men on the plane...)

He had said what they see us do, they will do in excess...

In excess...
Every week, these young people see me lose my ever-lovin' mind for Him...so much so that they have come to expect it from me.

They expect it from our Youth Worship Pastor (UHmazing, btw)

They expect it from his wife (HOLY COW THIS WOMAN IS ANOINTED)

They expect it from the Youth Pastor (him too.)

They expect it from his wife (frikkin ridiculous worship leader)

They expect it from the AWESOME Bishop of our house and his precious wife...

But what the staggering realization was...

They expect it ...period.


What of all the others?
The other ones in the room with them every week, be it Wednesday or Sunday?

The ones who shout and holla when the Word comes heavy?

Their agreement is earnest and awesome and the young people see that example. But what happens when its time to worship? When it's time for us to tell Abba how incredibly much we adore Him? What about their lives on facebook? In their relationships?
Some of these same precious people stay to the back of the crowd or planted in their seats or rows for various reasons...and the young people see that example too.

And as I paced the room...I could feel His words...hammering through my spirit with every heartbeat...


"What they see you do, they will do in excess...What they see you do, they will do in excess"


Over and over and over again.

And I see the faces of teenagers who seem distant... I see the faces of teenagers who are obviously insecure...I see the faces of teenagers who are bored...I see the faces of teenagers who are angry...I see the faces of teenagers who are apathetic...I see the faces of teenagers caught up in drama...
The excess of what they see...


And then I see the small handful of teenagers who throw themselves at His feet...and cry out for their generation...who worship and live in wild abandon...

The excess of what they see in the small handful...


A handful for a handful...a majority for a majority.


...in excess...
I began to ugly-cry. (You ladies know what I mean...well, you men prolly do too if you've ever seen a female squall so much that her make up runs, looking like Gene Simmons, and their face gets all swole up)
It's not okay.

It's NOT okay.
IT'S NOT OKAY.

IT'S. NOT. OKAY.
IT'S! NOT! OKAY!
It's not okay that a generation of young people see our faith as powerless.

It's not okay that these lambs are being captured by the world just because we are not captured by Christ.

There complacency, apathy, bondage...IT'S OUR FAULT!!

My Generation....Please.....BE. THE. ONES.


Be adventurous! Be courageous!


Your relationship with Him isnt just for YOUR benefit...it's for THEIRS.


No, its not for show, by any means...And I can't stand the whole, "fake it till you make it" crap...


But if you love Him, THEY NEED TO SEE YOU LOVE HIM.


If you have faith, THEY NEED TO SEE YOUR FAITH IN ACTION.


If you have been set free, THEY NEED TO SEE YOU WALK IN FREEDOM.


My Generation...PLEASE!


If you are captured...ravished...enthralled with Him, THEY NEED TO SEE YOUR PASSION.


If you're not...(And I'm not trying to be any kind of way...wait..scratch that...yes I am, bc its NOT OKAY that a generation of young people is convinced that our faith is powerless.).. If you're not, then do the younger generation a favor and just...stop.
Stop faking it.

God can see right thru you...they can see right thru you...the only person you are fooling is yourself...but you AREN'T the only person affected by your charade.

If you need help falling in love with Him or if you've never HAD a relationship with Him, talk to me! I would LOVE to introduce you to Love! Talk to the leadership at our House! At YOUR House! Your mentor! Talk to SOMEONE! He's WONDERFUL! He's Beautiful! He's full of mercy! He is Peace! He's so much more than words could ever describe! (lol, I like to say that He's..just...'so'...because there are a million words that could come after that itty bitty word.)
His heart is captured with YOU...be captured with HIM!






The destinies of the next generation demand it.